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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23464645">Sign Language</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Arcana (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Other, Self-Indulgent, big mountain man loves you to death, gentle giant baby, i was feeling down when i started this and now i'm happier, oh yea gender neutral apprentice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:08:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23464645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Muriel is not very talkative, but no less expressive than the rest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Asra &amp; Muriel (The Arcana), Muriel (The Arcana)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sign Language</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The crowd was chattering, loud in Muriel’s ears. People buying goodies, haggling, meeting their friends. It’s not a usual crowd for him - had he not been accompanying the happy magician by his side, he would never find himself in such a place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least their needs were simple - some spiced pumpkin bread, some veggies, nutmeg. Some herbs and flowers were also on the list, but Muriel would collect them fresh. The ones he grew himself were better than the dry ones in the market either way. He would always pick the prettiest forget-me-nots for them as well, making a little crown. Muriel told himself it was just because they liked it - but deep down, he knew it was because he thought they looked adorable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glances at the list, relieved to see one last item. Pickled pear. He goes to the vendor, building up courage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want two jars of pickled pear, please”, he mumbles, nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vendor doesn’t look at him. She doesn’t even glance, or seem to notice he was there. That would mean he would have to try again, which made him anxious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he opened his mouth, the magician touches the vendor’s hand, and she smiles at them. They tap on a jar and hold up two fingers, and the vendor gives to them, tapping on a sign to show the price. They pay and put their hand in their temple, and raises it, happily. The vendor waves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magician puts the jars in their bag and grabs Muriel’s arm. Guiding him out of the market, they babble about how much he’s gonna enjoy the dinner they are gonna cook for him. He doesn’t notice, though, thinking about the scene in the market. About how they used their hands to communicate with the vendor, how the vendor smiled at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magician looks at him, confused. “What was what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The thing with the vendor. How did you do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They look up to him, with a kind look. “You had no way to know, but that vendor is called Alula. She’s deaf, so everyone uses sign language with her”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muriel blushes while they walk into the forest. “Sign language? How did you learn it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The apprentice squats down, grabbing some buttercups. “I live on the city for years, Muriel. It’s almost second nature.” They look at him, with a sweet smile, “come help me pick up some flowers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muriel helps, but his mind is somewhere else. He keeps thinking about the way his beloved was able to say so much with no words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few weeks after that day in the market, the magician is going to Muriel’s hut. He looked so nervous when he invited the apprentice over, so they’re worried. Getting closer to the hut, they notice tiny new charms. The forest seems happier with you there, and the hut seems all cleaned up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magician knocks, and when Muriel opens the door, he’s wearing a shirt. The apprentice smiles, a bit blushy. Muriel invites them in, and they immediately notice how the hut is cozier, more decorated, more… homely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a while since I last seen you, Muri. I was thinking you changed your mind about me being here”, they joke, sitting on a stool near the fire. Inanna plops her head on their lap, and they give her scritches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that, it’s just…”, he mumbles, sitting beside you. “I need to tell you something, but I don’t know how”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magician looks at him kindly. “Take your time”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He breathes in deeply. Muriel hesitates a bit, opens his mouth, closes it. Then he raises his hand, closes his hand, letting his pinky and index up. The apprentice blushes, and hesitates a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I misunderstood a bit. Can you try saying it again? In another way? Just so I can be sure”, they laugh nervously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muriel looks away from the apprentice. He thinks for a bit, then remember the other way Asra taught him. He points to himself, then closes his hand, letting his thumb a bit up, and putting his index overlapping it, and then points to the apprentice.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The apprentice gasps, and gets up so fast that Inanna barks in protest. They jump into Muriel’s arms, and he hugs them close, blushing, but happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Muriel, I have loved you ever since you gave me myrrh!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He frowns, “Why didn’t you say anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They laugh. “You used to tell me to go away all the time! How was I supposed to know you liked me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muriel laughs too. “Ok, that’s fair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stay close for a few moments, with the apprentice peppering Muriel’s face with kisses, basking on his blush. He pets their hair gently, enjoying their kisses, their presence, them. After some moment of quiet, the magician speaks up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who taught you sign language?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muriel smiles. “Asra. He was particularly excited to teach me when I told him why.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The apprentice gasps. “Of course! That’s why he insisted I wore something nice today. I wonder for how long he’s been waiting for us to say something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Muriel snorts. “Probably already planned a wedding”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laugh. Of course he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they slip back in silence, Muriel makes a mental note to thank Asra later. Giving him a new way to communicate with the world was good, but the feeling of the apprentice in his arms, the way they sigh when they sniff the myrrh in him, the way they gently play with his hair…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was better than anything he ever felt.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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